P&OCL North East reunions

Post date: Jul 10, 2013 11:11:17 AM

"My recent introduction to the SCARA website indicates what I always believed, P&OCL and teamwork go hand in hand. Here is a brief report which shows that the team still exists in the North East, sans photographs, but we will see if we can change that next time we communicate. It's good to put faces to names.

Following the sad demise of the team in 1995 I was engaged by an Agency given the responsibility as part of a team set up to over-see the winding up of a national Building Society. In 1997 I was called to meet two newcomers and delighted to meet up again with two friends and colleagues from P&OCL, Eric Riley and John Taylor (sadly, no longer with us).

The following report on a long series of reunions held in Leeds for ex-P&O Containers North East region staff has been received from Peter Wigglesworth:

There was obviously much to discuss, not necessarily relevant to the supposed job in hand and very quickly the possibility of a reunion was mentioned. Little did we realize then such a re-union would be with us and stronger than ever 15 years later. We had seriously under-estimated the Leeds grapevine and within a few weeks, the following, with their partners gathered at Apperley Manor Leeds to enjoy Christmas lunch in December, 1998:

  • Mary Brayford

  • Malcolm Ellis

  • Rodney English

  • Richard Foxton

  • Tom Fry

  • Peter Grange

  • Julian Haxby

  • Gil Hirst

  • John Hooper

  • Daryl Jackson

  • Marianne Johnstone (sadly another friend lost to us)

  • Keith Lanes

  • John Ledbetter

  • Robert Marshall

  • John Palfreeman

  • Eric Riley

  • Derek Sutcliffe

  • John Taylor

  • and myself, Peter Wigglesworth

The occasion was an immediate success and plans were agreed to make this an annual function. Eric moved with his family to Eastbourne shortly afterwards and now feeds on email titbits and though John Hooper and Tom Fry moved South and East respectively, both remain regular attendees defying some atrocious weather conditions to be present.

On the first Sunday in December next the team will meet up again at Peasehill House Hotel, Leeds, now our regular HQ and in addition to the first twelve listed above, (most of them 100 percenters), we shall be joined again by Anne Bulmer, Dave Borkwood, Gez Kellegher, Helen Cooper and Anne Edwards.. Old times will be discussed and hotel management anxiously check watches to ensure we do not over-run into the evening meal. The final act will be to ensure that a booking is made for the next function in December next year.

More later.

Peter Wigglesworth (alias Wigg)"

If you too know of any similar reunions that are being held then we would love to hear from you.